1. Provide a safe workplace

This goes for anyone working in the business or visiting the workplace. Ensuring a safe environment is key to minimising risk and reducing premium costs. A safe workplace will not only protect workers from injury, it also increases productivity, lowers running costs and improves worker morale. It is through the effective management of risk and delivery of wellbeing solutions that derives success for you, your business, and your people.

2. Make the correct notifications if a workplace injury occurs.

If one of your workers has experienced a work-related injury or illness, you may need to notify Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) of the incident. If your worker was injured, you may also need to let WorkCover Queensland know. You can start the claim process on your worker’s behalf by submitting a claim form (unless you’re self-insured).

3. Contact your worker as soon as you can if an injury at work occurs.

Early and ongoing meaningful contact by key personnel ensures workers feel valued. Workers that don’t receive this contact from an employer can often take longer to return to work for other fears, concerns and secondary injuries. Take time to understand their injury and how it is affecting your worker physically and mentally. Talk with your worker about safe return to work goals and encourage them to return as soon as they can. Make regular ongoing contact to understand their recovery and rehabilitation progress.  

*Guidelines for standard rehabilitation, July 2016

4. Maintain an injured worker’s job while they are off work.

This means employers will have to think on their feet to maintain productivity of the business. In some cases, employers are need to take on contractors, increase the workload of existing staff or take on more work themselves while their worker is off work injured. 

5. Provide light duties to injured workers while they recover.

Did you know that as an employer you have a responsibility to provide injured workers with opportunities to recover at work? There is strong evidence that unnecessary delays in returning to work impact on the injured worker’s recovery. Providing safe and meaningful work will assist an injured worker. An employer offering the opportunity to recover at work allows the injured worker to remain active, prevent de-conditioning and allows them to maintain social interaction. Suitable duties should be documented and made available to the employer and worker. WorkCover QLD offer a suitable duties template along with more information on the Worksafe QLD website.

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/search?query=Suitable+Duties+Plan

*Guidelines for standard rehabilitation, July 2016

Work Well Now can help you support your injured workers and set up appropriate safety management systems to reduce risk in your workplace.